The Mysterious Benedict Society in Darkness
by Spark Writer
Summary: The Ten Men are back-and this time they will not be stopped.  Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mysterious Benedict Society.**

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><p>"Constance, budge over," muttered Kate. The little girl scowled, her face illuminated by the gigantic movie screen, in front of which they sat. Constance scooted over, and Kate slipped into the row, her bucket clanging loudly. Reynie glanced apologetically at the person to his left, a cantankerous looking women. "Keep it down over there," she growled. Reynie nodded, while Sticky winced. What with Constance's antics and Kate's racket, seeing a movie could be very stressful. In fact, Reynie wasn't entirely sure what movie they were seeing, anyway. Some romantic comedy that Mr. Benedict had chosen. Sticky poked Reynie in the ribs. "What?" Reynie spoke in a low voice. "Look over there...no, the other way—yeah." Sticky shivered. "See that man? He looks exactly like Crawlings." At the word "Crawlings," Reynie felt like vomiting. Crawlings was a sinister Ten Man, whose greatest joy in life was torturing Reynie and his friends. But now that Mr. Curtain (Crawlings' boss) was in prison, the idea of him leisurely watching a movie, was highly unlikely. Reynie gazed furtively at the side of the man's head. He was bald, and wearing a black suit, but why should that mean he was a Ten man? Reynie sank back into his seat. "I don't think it's him, Sticky." Sticky shuddered. "I hope you're right." Constance threw a piece of popcorn at Sticky, then at Reynie, and the Mysterious Benedict Society was silent. Reynie tried desperately to focus his attention on the movie-"Kiss me, Margaret!"- but he continued to sneak looks at the bald man. It was improbable, but it wasn't impossible.<p>

Several minutes passed, then the bald man stirred, and rose from his seat, stretching and smiling good naturedly at his neighbor. As far as Reynie could see, he had both his eyebrows. Crawlings was known for having one awful, wriggling eyebrow, that twitched of its own accord. The man strolled along the center aisle, and out of the darkened theater.

He did not return.

Sticky, his eyes huge and frightened, gazed at Reynie. "This doesn't feel right." Those words, already disconcerting, were made even worse when Constance dropped her bag of popcorn, looking nauseous. She leaned over Sticky and whispered to Reynie. "Where's Milligan?" Reynie jerked his head to the right. "Over there." Milligan sat low in a seat four rows back. "Why? Is something wrong?" Constance nodded, her eyes squeezed shut. "McCracken is here."

"What?" Sticky squawked, then clamped a sweaty hand over his mouth. Reynie absorbed this news. Something was terribly wrong, and the Ten Men had followed the Mysterious Benedict Society, obviously readying themselves for ambush or attack. "Listen," said Reynie, "we need to get out of here as quickly as we can." Kate, her ocean blue eyes narrowed, was ready to object. "What about Milligan?" Sticky moaned. "We need his help, too, Reynie." Reynie nodded in agreement. "Kate, get Milligan's attention, will you?" Kate slyly reached into her bucket, and withdrew her slingshot and a blue marble. Taking aim, she let the marble hurdle toward Milligan. It thwacked soundly him on the forehead. Milligan, not at all confused, stood up, his knees slightly bent, and crept the long way around the theater, so as not to attract attention to himself.

Constance, meanwhile, was whimpering and snarling, an odd combination. A part of her was deathly afraid of another encounter with the Ten Men, but another part wished she could punch them right in the nose. Milligan materialized before Kate, his brows furrowed. "What is it, Katie-Cat?" Kate gestured helplessly at Constance. "She says McCracken is here – right now." Milligan's expression hardly changed, though his shoulders tensed. "I see." He cast an appraising eye around the theater. With hardly a second's thought, he looked seriously at the children. "Follow me." Reynie, his knees weak and shivery, got up and started after Milligan. But the two, no three, things happened. The movie screen flickered and went black, Constance screamed shrilly, and someone threw Reynie a clumsy punch. Blinking away the popping stars, Reynie felt around in the suffocating dark, desperately seeking escape. Mixed with the various shrieks and yells from the audience, was a surreptitious clicking noise. Someone—was approaching Reynie with quiet, cunning footsteps.

Then, with a breath taking grip, someone squeezed Reynie's arm. Reynie did not even have time to yell. His world went white and flew apart, exploding before his eyes. People were running, screaming, calling for help. Reynie sank to the ground and knew no more.

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><p><strong>Cliff-hanger! Hope you liked it. Please read and review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

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><p>Reynie was experiencing a curious rolling sensation deep in his belly. It was similar to the feeling one gets when on a boat—but different, somehow. He opened his eyes and saw boxes, nearly a hundred of them, in great piles. His first reaction was to think that maybe he was in a basement somewhere—but, no—basements did not pitch and roll. Reynie twitched his hand and winced, realizing too late that his wrist were tied along with his ankles. He looked around and saw, above a waist high stack of boxes, a window that framed a perfect square of blue sky. He was in an airplane. Reynie glanced nervously around, hoping against hope that one of his friends was there. It seemed that he was alone in a kind of storage compartment. Looking down at the floor, Reynie saw something small and red. A single barrette lay prone on the ground beside him...Constance had to be nearby.<p>

Wriggling and slithering, Reynie was able to crawl between boxes and down a narrow passage. Judging by the voices, the Ten Men were in the pilot's cabin. Reynie gritted his teeth and flopped onto his stomach, jarring his ribs painfully. As slowly and inconspicuously as he could, he peered around the door frame. The Ten Men; Crawlings, Garrote, and McCracken, with Sharpe at the controls were talking cheerfully. They seemed both calm and amused. Lying against one wall, was Constance. She wasn't tied up. Instead, she was fast asleep, a nasty red bump rising in her exposed forehead. Reynie shrunk back, and tried to make sense of what he'd just seen. Why was Constance in the cabin with them? Did they plan to take advantage of her psychic skills? And where were Kate and Sticky? Reynie desperately began to formulate a plan, but before it had been even a minute, McCracken appeared in the doorway, speaking over his shoulder to Sharpe.

"_Control_ the plane, Sharpe! Don't just sit there uselessly." Horrified, Reynie attempted to conceal himself in the shadows, but knew it wouldn't work. McCracken looked down at Reynie, and smiled.

"Ah, Reynard! Lovely to see you." Reynie glared up at the Ten Man.

"Join us in the cabin, won't you?" With that, McCracken lifted Reynie to his feet as easily as if he'd been a pillow. Prodding him into the cabin, McCracken sat down in a reclining chair, and smiled again.

"Tell me, Reynie," he began, "What would possess you to think you could get away with eavesdropping? It's rather rude, you know." Reynie was silent. He did not intend to speak anymore than was absolutely possible. The other Ten Men snickered. "Cat got your tongue, eh?" Reynie focused his eyes on a spot just above McCracken's coiffed brown hair. Stay calm, he told himself. "You chickies are immensely simple. You've proven your naivete time and time again. You-" Reynie lost his temper.

"You're a sick monster! You may be under the impression that you're going to win, but that's because you're too delusional to see the truth. You can do and say anything you want, but I already now the kind of human being you are."

The room was silent. Then, before Reynie had time to think, Sharpe had steered the plane into a sharp dive. Reynie, his wrists and ankles bound, tumbled to the floor, and had the awful feeling that he had left his stomach behind him. The plane had literally taken a nosedive, and Sharpe showed no sign of stopping. Only when Crawlings looked as though he might be sick, did Sharpe level the plane and speed smoothly into the bright blue nothingness.

"You can stop groaning, old fellow," said McCracken, laughing and smoothing his hair. Reynie's stomach was a cauldron of nerves and was made worse by the plane's sudden, sharp descent. Below the sound of the Ten Men's laughter, was a distinct clattering sound. Reynie swiveled his gaze to the doorway and saw a pair of spectacles—Sticky's spectacles to be exact. A hand shot out and snatched the glasses back. Reynie smiled to himself. Sticky was there—Kate had to be, too. Feeling more calm, Reynie turned to McCracken, anxious to divert the Ten Man's attention.

"What do you want with us?" he interrogated. McCracken chuckled.

"You wouldn't interested in that piece of information."

"Try me," muttered Reynie. "And what do you want with Constance? She can't possibly be of any use to you."

"Wrong again, Reynie," said Crawlings, still a bit green. Reynie glanced furtively at the doorway, then faced McCracken once more.

"You never stop, do you? Why can't you leave us alone?"

McCracken smirked. "You see, Bunny, I resent your very existence. If mean old Crawlings dropped you from this plane, I wouldn't give it a second thought. In fact, I would applaud him on his actions. So anything you say to try to convince me to stop disfavoring you—won't work. Simple, isn't it?"

It was at that moment that Constance opened her blue eyes and stared up at McCracken with every sign of great dislike.

"What are you kumquats blathering about?"

Crawlings instantly shook back his well-pressed cuffs, revealing two silver shock watches, while McCracken knelt beside her, his handkerchief at the ready.

"Have a nice nap, Chicky?" Constance scowled darkly. "Yes, I dreamed that you were choking on food, the entire time."

Sharpe coughed.

"Did you, now?" McCracken was amused, but Constance wasn't.

"Can't you stop being a creep and a jerk? Don't you have any humanity left? You're a liar, that's what you are. But even lies have there moment of truth."

Constance's finger was in McCracken's angry face. No one was laughing. "You won't hurt me," she went on. "And you won't hurt Reynie. I'd never let you."

The little girl glared fiercely at the Ten Man, with a look so withering Reynie was surprised McCracken didn't perish on the spot. As Crawlings advanced, his shock watches buzzing threateningly, Kate yelled from somewhere out of sight.

"Now!" Reynie wrenched his hands free of the rope, while Sticky cut the rope from his ankles. Reynie head butted Crawlings and snatched Constance to her feet. Together, they fled the pilot's cabin, and charged after Kate and Sticky. The four children leaped down into a dark luggage compartment, and Kate turned to Reynie.

"Do you trust me?" Reynie nodded.

"Yes. Now what do we have to do?" Kate led them to a sliding panel.

"We'll have to jump."

"What?" Sticky was aghast, but Kate was already pushing the panel aside, wind whipping her ponytail.

"They're coming!" Constance whispered. Kate, with a wink to her friends, slipped through the hole and dropped. Reynie, Constance and Sticky did the same. They plummeted toward the navy water below, eyes squeezed tight. Reynie hit the water forcefully, his ribs aching from the impact.

"NOW what?" Constance shrieked. Kate grinned and treaded water. "Look." Flying toward them was Madge, Kate's peregrine falcon. And below her, a boat was speeding toward them, cresting the waves. Mr. Benedict was at the prow.

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><p><strong>Please read and review!<strong>

**Spark Writer**


	3. Chapter 3

What with all the shrieking, patting, weeping, groaning and exclaiming, it was a good while before any of the children got a chance to speak. Their parents, Number Two, Rhonda and Mr. Benedict were all quite pale with anxiety, and not a little distressed. Mrs. Washington nearly had an apoplectic fit.

"How could you?" she rebuked Sticky. "Why not get help?"

Sticky, uncharacteristically fearless, lifted his chin. "We're gifted children for a reason, Mother. We know how each other thinks, and we know how to get out of dreadful situations. It takes a lot of practice, though," he said, grinning at Reynie.

Reynie grinned back, painfully relieved to be safe and virtually unharmed. He gazed over the boat's rail, and relished the briny wind that ruffled his hair and tugged at his shirt. He honestly felt as though this was the first day of the rest of his life. Kate was beside him, busily retying her ponytail. She and Sticky had escaped from the movie theater, and followed the Ten Men's van to their airplane. She had managed to smuggle herself and Sticky into the plane's cargo compartment, and had formulated a plan from there. Reynie was not at all surprised by Kate's wits and ability to keep her cool—but Sticky! He had obviously been exerting a lot of effort to be that daring and bold. Reynie smiled to himself. Sticky would most likely give them all a run for their money...someday.

Now, however, they were simply four children on a boat, and deserved a chance to shake of their myriad responsibilities and just be exactly what they were—children. Reynie abandoned his post at the rail, and swung round to study Constance. The little girl was sitting cross legged on the deck, her wispy hair blowing in all directions. Sticky stood beside her, his arms folded in a gesture of protectiveness. Reynie strode over to them, and sat down facing Constance.

"What?" she snipped, her blue eyes sparkling with an odd mixture of anger and amusement.

Reynie shook his head wordlessly. "Those things you said to McCracken...they were-" Here he paused, trying to find the right words. "They were amazing and brave, and very, _very _true."

Constance blushed and averted her eyes. After a moment she said: "Do you really think so?"

Reynie laughed as he had not laughed in a long time, and poked her affectionately. "As true and real as that."

Constance grinned a little, then snickered and chortled. Within mere seconds, all four children were roaring with laughter. They laughed because only they could see a movie, get attacked by Ten Men, fight McCracken, jump out of a plane, and still be alright—at least for the moment.

"You know," said Kate, giggling and adjusting her bucket. "That's the first time we've ever gotten away that quickly."

"Yes," agreed Reynie. "Thanks to you and Sticky, here we are—safe." Kate beamed, and Sticky ducked his chin in embarrassment.

Then something occurred to Reynie. "Hey Sticky," he began, "I just noticed something. You're wearing your spectacles!" Sticky pushed the glasses up his nose, nodding.

"They were in my pocket and, well, contact lenses are too much trouble when you're trying to save your friends from a fate worse than death!"

Constance snorted. "That's a little heavy-handed." Sticky shrugged. "It's how it felt."

Milligan, at the boat's controls, deftly steered the vessel to the left, and Stonetown bay came rushing into view.

"When I get home," Kate commented, "I'm going to hang my rope out to dry. It's soaked from our dive into the ocean."

Constance nodded and wrung water from her cardigan. "I'm more annoyed about my clothes. I feel like I'm being licked by a giant golden retriever. Nasty."

Reynie handed Constance another blanket. At that moment, Number Two came rushing over, clutching a mammoth pile of wool blankets (blankets that smelled strongly of salt water and gasoline, no less) and four mugs of half-spilled, lukewarm tea. Reynie knew better than to ask for honey, even he had been joking. Number Two just couldn't stand the strain. He accepted his tea, and took a sip, just to humor Number Two. Then setting his mug aside, he stood, and wandered over to Miss Perumal and Pati. The two women still showed signs of anxiety, though a little color had returned to their faces. Miss Perumal smiled fondly at him.

"I beginning to wonder where you'd gotten to, Reynie."

Reynie gestured to his friends. "We were just talking everything over."

She nodded wisely, then spoke. "You _are_ alright?" She cocked her head just slightly to the left, the way she always did when particularly concerned about something.

Reynie met her kind gaze. "I'm fantastic, really."

Her eyes sparkled, and she patted his cheek. "You're absolutely right."

Reynie reddened from this unforeseen praise, then slipped off to be with his friends once again. Constance was perched regally upon Kate's shoulders, Sticky was leaning his forearms on the metal guard railing, and Reynie turned into the wind, grinning inexplicably. There was Stonetown, ever busy and bustling, there was Madge swirling above them, and here were his friends. All at once, Reynie was no longer afraid of being alone. Life was often turned upside down, and backwards, and right side up again, and Reynie knew this better than anyone. Still, he did not fear being alone. Something was inside him, and outside him too—a light brighter than the dark of the past, a force to be reckoned with, a gift and a challenge.

It was the future.


End file.
